Predeparture

I have decided to blog about my experiences while I am studying in France so my family can vicariously enjoy each adventure with me. I will try to make it so you can smell the rain when I do and taste the wine when I do. So you can hear the crunch of a fresh baguette in my mouth and see the nooks of France that tourists miss.

My goal is to be able to feel like a local while walking around town or having drinks in a cafe. I want feel comfortable holding conversations in french and I want to expand my vocabulary so that I can express myself easily without language constraints. I hope that I can travel all around France and Europe and that money does not slow me down too much. I also want to connect with my host family and become more than just another house guest because they will probably teach me the most about how to live in France.

With only 12 hours before boarding my plane, I have yet to feel much nervousness. For months my excitement rose as I learned more and more about Nantes, saw pictures of the greenery of France, and lived out so many possible adventures in my head that I could have during the semester. Once I found out about the host family I would be living with, I felt the realization that I would actually have to speak french to be able to communicate about even the simplest things (which reminds me of all the french words I need to look up on the plane before I arrive). Although I will probably feel those butterflies at some point tomorrow in the airport or on the plane to Paris, I do not think I can fully grasp the reality until I step off the plane and breathe in the French air.

I will try to post often and I promise to use as much imagery as possible to make this exciting to read!